Huayu: Starting from joining the mainstream entertainment industry in 96

Chapter 300, page 298: The Thirty-One Warlords Reunite
June 15, 2000, Beijing.

As summer begins to emerge, sunlight filters through the lush sycamore leaves in the Beijing Film Studio area, casting dappled patterns of light on the slightly worn asphalt road.

The familiar conference room in the main building once again welcomed its old friends.

Four years is enough time to change many people and things.

The lintel of the conference room remains the same, but the people who enter have vastly different identities and states of mind.

Han Sanping, dressed in a dark executive jacket, sat in the main seat, exuding a composed and dignified air.

He is no longer the director of Beijing Film Studio; his business card now lists him as the vice chairman and vice general manager of China Film Group Corporation, effectively wielding power over film production and distribution.

Wang Sheng sat in the first seat on his left, wearing a well-tailored casual suit. His young face showed no trace of immaturity, only the composure and restraint that came from years of experience in the market.

His "Shengying Group" has grown into a private film and television giant, with its reach extending to multiple fields. Its influence is far greater than that of the Beijing Film Studio's younger brother who proposed the concept of "wedding movies" in 1996.

The attendees arrived one after another; they were all representatives of the thirty warlords who responded to the "Television Content Distribution Alliance" back then, and most of them were heads of film studios in various regions.

"Chairman Han! President Wang! Long time no see! You look even more impressive than before!" Zhang Peimin, the director of Xi'an Film Studio, strode in with a booming voice and shook hands vigorously with Han Sanping and Wang Sheng.

He is one of the league's staunch supporters, with a generous and outgoing personality. Four years have passed, and although his temples have turned gray, he is still in good spirits.

"Director Wu, you're still going strong for your age," Han Sanping replied with a smile.

Wang Sheng stood up to greet him, his attitude humble: "Director Wu, the distribution of '30 Days' in the Northwest last time was largely thanks to your strong support."

“It’s mutually beneficial! Your film is good, so we benefit from it!” Zhang Pimin laughed heartily.

The director of Changchun Film Studio followed closely behind. He was originally the deputy director of the studio, and after his predecessor was transferred due to economic issues, he successfully took over.

"Chairman Han, President Wang." His handshake was firm but not too tight, and his smile carried the warmth typical of Northeasterners, along with a touch of the caution of a newly appointed official: "Our Changying Film Studio is really looking forward to this new move from the alliance, so that it can lead us out of the encirclement!"

"Don't worry, Director Zhao, the opportunity is right in front of us," Han Sanping said meaningfully.

Li Guozhi, the director of Jinling Factory, was a refined middle-aged man who wore gold-rimmed glasses. He was originally the head of the factory's literature department. After the old director retired, he established himself by producing several successful TV series and movies.

"Chairman Han, President Wang, it's been a long time." He spoke slowly and deliberately, with a soft, gentle accent from Jiangnan. "I'm sure you've gathered everyone here for something important."

"Director Li has a good eye." Wang Sheng smiled and nodded.

The heads of film studios such as Xiaoxiang Film Studio, Zhuying Film Studio, Emei Film Studio, and Tianshan Film Studio took their seats one after another, their faces a mix of familiar and unfamiliar.

In the four years, some people, like Han Sanping, were promoted, some, like Wang Sheng, rose to prominence, while others were brought down by corruption, or retired on time, or were transferred elsewhere.

The meeting room was filled with a sense of nostalgia for a long-awaited reunion and speculation about the future, with greetings, reminiscing, and tentative inquiries filling the air.

Seeing that everyone had arrived, Han Sanping cleared his throat, and the conference room instantly fell silent.

All eyes were on this giant who controlled the industry's core resources.

"Fellow old comrades and new friends," Han Sanping began, his voice steady and powerful, "It's been four years. Our alliance has grown from nothing to something, relying on series like 'Harmony Brings Prosperity' and TV movies to carve out a path in the television industry and help many factories through their most difficult period. Everyone here has experienced this firsthand."

Everyone nodded in agreement; those days of huddling together for warmth were still fresh in their memories.

“However,” Han Sanping’s tone shifted, his expression turning serious, “the television market is only so big, and the ceiling for advertising revenue is clearly visible. Moreover, movies will ultimately return to the big screen! That’s our root, our main battleground as filmmakers!”

His gaze swept across the room: "Not long ago, the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television and the Ministry of Culture jointly issued the 'Opinions on Further Deepening the Reform of the Film Industry,' also known as Document No. 320, which I'm sure everyone has already studied. What's the core of it? Breaking down barriers! Encouraging private capital! Implementing a cinema chain system!"

These keywords struck like a heavy hammer against everyone's heart.

"The document is the east wind, pointing out the direction. But how exactly do we do it? I've invited everyone here today to discuss this important matter—establishing cinemas! Establishing cinema chains!" Han Sanping's voice was resolute. He elaborated on his idea: "My idea is that the alliance will take the lead, and each film studio with the necessary resources will leverage its local land, connections, and brand advantages to renovate or build at least one modern multiplex cinema in its provincial capital as a flagship store."

China Film Group is responsible for overall coordination of the equity investment, providing brand endorsement and some financial support, as well as coordinating relationships with local government departments at all levels.

Then, he looked at Wang Sheng: "Mr. Wang's Shengying Media, as a representative of social capital encouraged by the document, will participate in the construction and operation of various cinemas by investing cash, providing advanced management experience, technical support and a stable supply of high-quality films."

Finally, he proposed a cooperation model within the alliance: "If each factory has the strength, it can cross-invest in cinemas built by other factories, forming a closer bond of interests."

If funds are temporarily tight, they can be exchanged for future film investment rights, revenue rights, or land use rights of the factory, or a share swap model negotiated within the alliance can be adopted directly.

In short, the principle is simple: those with money contribute money, those with strength contribute strength, and those with resources contribute resources; let's get this cinema network up and running first!

At this point, Wang Sheng took over the conversation, his voice clear and persuasive: "Chairman Han has already explained the framework very clearly. I would like to add a few specific points, especially regarding how to solve the 'box office underreporting' problem that we have abhorred in the past."

He paused for a moment, then threw out a groundbreaking idea in 2000: "Our newly built cinema chain will fully adopt a computer network ticketing system, directly linked to the Special Fund Office."

The sales data for each ticket is uploaded in real time to a data center located in Beijing. China Film Group and core alliance members can monitor the real-time box office data of every cinema at any time.

A low murmur arose in the conference room.

Real-time online monitoring?

Is this technology feasible?
Wang Sheng seemed to sense everyone's doubts and explained, "Technically, it's entirely feasible. One of the internet companies we invested in, Shengying, is already developing a similar online ticketing system prototype. Initially, we can use a dedicated network to ensure data security and stability."

Each cinema's ticketing terminal is connected to the headquarters server; the data is updated immediately after a ticket is sold. This not only fundamentally eliminates the possibility of underreporting that can occur with manual record-keeping, but also provides us with the most accurate basis for market decision-making.

He continued to outline the blueprint: "In the future, we can even develop telephone ticketing and even an online seat selection and ticketing system based on the Internet! This will make it more convenient for audiences to buy tickets, make our operations more efficient, and make box office data transparent so that every participant can view it in real time."

These words excited the factory managers present, but also left them somewhat skeptical.

Online ticketing?
It sounds like science fiction.

But Wang Sheng's past successes have repeatedly proven his foresight, leaving them no choice but to take him seriously.

Zhang Peimin of Xi'an Film Studio was the first to speak up: "I think it's a good idea! If this method can really be implemented, let's see who dares to steal our box office revenue! We at Xi'an Film Studio have a piece of land near the Bell Tower in Xi'an, in an excellent location, which is perfect for converting into a cinema! I'm the first to support it!"

The director of Changchun Film Studio pondered for a moment and said, "In terms of technology, how confident is Mr. Wang? This investment is considerable."

Wang Sheng replied, "Director Li, the technology research and development and initial investment will be mainly borne by Shengying and China Film. The cinemas need to cooperate on hardware procurement and network deployment. We can include these costs in the overall investment budget and share them according to the shareholding ratio. Moreover, once the system is in place, the management efficiency and anti-concealment benefits it brings will far exceed the initial investment."

Li Guozhi from Jinling Film Studio pushed up his glasses: "I wholeheartedly support data transparency. However... implementing this system may affect the vested interests of some local distribution companies and older cinemas, so the resistance will not be small."

Han Sanping snorted coldly, his tone carrying an undeniable determination: "Reform means touching the cheese! Document No. 320 is the imperial sword! The cinema chain system is the general direction set by the state, and anyone who dares to obstruct it is going against the tide!"

China Film Group and the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television will fully support the alliance's cinema development. For those who are stubborn and obstruct reform, we will focus our efforts on providing film sources and policy support!

His words reassured the alliance and demonstrated the determination of the leadership to push for reform.

Wang Sheng added, "Moreover, our networked system is itself a powerful management tool. Headquarters can clearly see the screening rate and occupancy rate of each cinema. For cinemas with low operating efficiency or potential problems, we can intervene in a timely manner to optimize management. This is itself a means to improve the overall competitiveness of the cinema chain."

The meeting lasted for the entire afternoon.

The factory managers engaged in heated discussions, including some intense debates, on topics such as shareholding ratios, investment amounts, site selection criteria, technical details, and profit distribution mechanisms.

However, with Han Sanping's strong leadership and Wang Sheng's clear technical path and capital support, the general direction was quickly determined.

Ultimately, the initial outline of a new type of inter-provincial cinema alliance, centered on "China Film Group-Shengying," uniting major film studios nationwide, using assets as a link, modern multiplex cinemas as nodes, and featuring computer network ticketing and real-time data monitoring, was initially sketched out in the conference room of Beijing Film Studio.

(End of this chapter)